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Music for sailing: what floats your boat?

6K views 49 replies 36 participants last post by  Group9 
#1 ·
So I'm just about to upgrade my crappy old am/fm radio to an MP3 player / radio. This means being able to create playlists of music I might like under certain conditions. For example I think David Gray would be great music to sail by (and not just Sail Away, but also that). I think some intense classical (Beethoven?) might be really cool in heavier conditions. Sunny day and 8 kts; some tragically happy John Denver. You get what I mean? Music that suits the situation.

Anyone do this kind of stuff or have any interesting ideas?
 
#2 ·
Jack, if you poke around, you'll find a few threads on music people like to play aboard.

A year or so back, I took a shot at songs that had to actually be about sailing or sailors. I ultimately chose about two dozen of them, purchased them in iTunes and made a playlist. They are an incredible mix of pop, folk, rock, country, modern, 50s, etc, etc. I play it aboard and mention to guests that this was the criteria and its been great entertainment. Nearly every song I chose for the mix was recognizable, but in many people never knew there was a sailing reference in it. Some on the other hand are obvious, but they can't think of them in the moment. Everyone agrees that the outrageously eclectic mix of genre completely works together and plays for about 2 hours.

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/general-discussion-sailing-related/93979-sailing-specific-songs.html
 
#3 ·
Here is my 'Nautical' playlist from my iTunes:

Song of the whale (Part one : from dawn / Part two : from dusk) Tangerine Dream
Rhapsody in Blue George Gershwin
Pirates Emerson, Lake & Palmer
The Flying Dutchman Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra
Ship Of Fools The Doors
Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald Gordon Lightfoot
Song Of The Seas Vangelis
I'm Sailing Away Styx
Aquarius Portishead
Nautical Disaster The Tragically Hip
Opening Theme From "The Abyss"
Dolphin Dance Tangerine Dream
The Bounty - Main Titles Vangelis
The Bounty - Closing Titles Vangelis
Home By The Sea Genesis
A Salty Dog Procol Harum
The Ocean Led Zeppelin
When The Dolphins Cry Live
Leviathan Yngwie J. Malmsteen
Surfing With The Alien Joe Satriani
Barracuda Heart
Water of Love Dire Straits
Moby Dick Led Zeppelin
Moby Dick Dread Zeppelin
Fast As I Can Great Big Sea
End Titles From "The Abyss"
Living In An Island Boomtown Rats
Down To The Waterline Dire Straits
Deep Blue Day Brian Eno
How Did We Get From Saying I Love You... Great Big Sea
Wave Over Wave Great Big Sea
Recruiting Sargeant Great Big Sea
Calypso John Denver
Night Boat To Cairo Madness
When I'm Up (I Can't Get Down) Great Big Sea
The Jolly Butcher Great Big Sea
Goin' Up Great Big Sea
Ordinary Day Great Big Sea
Lukey Great Big Sea
Greenspond Great Big Sea
Interlude-Libation, The Water Ritual Béla Fleck & The Flecktones
Sea Of Love Robert Plant & The Honeydrippers
The Night Pat Murphy Died Great Big Sea
Rigadoon Great Big Sea
Somewhere Beyond The Sea Bobby Darrin
Something I Should Know Great Big Sea
Jolly Roving Tar Great Big Sea
General Taylor Great Big Sea
Buying Time Great Big Sea
Jakey's Gin Great Big Sea
The Whale Song John Denver
Haven't Seen You In A Long Time Great Big Sea
Run Runaway Great Big Sea
Billy Peddle Great Big Sea
Seven Seas Of Rhye Queen
Handel's Water Music (Air) Wendy Carlos
End Of The World Great Big Sea
Rant & Roar Great Big Sea
Barnacle Bill The Sailor Bix Beiderbecke
My Apology Great Big Sea
Nothing Out Of Nothing Great Big Sea
The Chemical Worker's Song (Process Man) Great Big Sea
Crystal Ship The Doors
Mari-Mac Great Big Sea
The Old Black Rum Great Big Sea
Donkey Riding Great Big Sea
Something To It Great Big Sea
Seagulls Great Big Sea
Voyager The Alan Parsons Project
Dancing With Mrs. White Great Big Sea
Eternal Father, Strong To Save U.S. Navy Band & Choir
Handel's Water Music (Hornpipe) Handel
Accountancy Shanty Monty Python
I Want to Marry A Lighthouse Keeper Erika Eigen
Theme From Pirates Of The Caribbean Klaus Badelt
Theme From "Captain Pugwash"
 
#4 ·
I tend to select sailing music based on the rhythm and flow of the music rather than to specific references to sailing. Even so, one can't pass up the Kingston Trio "Sloop John B" Some of the other artists I choose include Enya and Jimmy Buffet. With you, Capt Jack, some Beethoven to get the heart moving is never a bad thing.
 
#7 ·
well in english i love me some van morrison

in spanish my best is joaquin sabina, some bossanova, etc...

this is when bored mid ocean...jajaja I too love the rumbling of the waves...but a beer and some tunes 1000miles away from land can do wonders for the soul
 
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#12 ·
well in english i love me some van morrison
I remember one night sailing from Carrabelle, FL to Clearwater, in a warm 15 knot breeze on a beam reach, across the gulf, with a beautiful full moon lighting up the ocean, with a Van Morrison CD in, and when "Dancing in the Moonlight" came on, I decided it just couldn't get more perfect.
:)
 
#13 ·
yup...when I was in berkeley,ca I did the classic cliche thing of turning on "into the mystic" while seing the fog line clear into the sunny breeze, and fog horn blow etc...

but I was rasied on eclectic music and classical...I could do the same with vivaldis 4 season blasting into some big waves out the gate and enjoy that too

(thats the thing about music there is something for everyone)

yes, cursi, and very cliche but you only live once so might as well experience even what some might consider ridiculous or pathetic
 
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#14 ·
I'm sure you have enough ideas about music now . One thing I might ad ,I'm like you I changed out my old stereo for a Ipod Nano. I play it on a boom box . It sounds nice enough . And I still have AM/FM, CD . Only bummer is my ITunes acc. some how got corrupted ,so I can't open up my acc. Another thing is with ITunes when you go to change a play list it deletes the play list from your acc. The songs are still on your acc. but the play list you created is gone . I got a friend to look at the acc. problem, he couldn't fix it and he's pretty good with computers. But not that good . I'm not giving up ! I'll get it fixed some how . I love my little Nano.
 
#15 ·
When the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie came out, Johnny Depp and Gore Verbinski teamed up to get an eclectic group of musicians, such as keith richards, tom waits, depp himself, patti smith, mavis staples, etc.. to record old sea shanties and pirate songs. Truly awesome. There are two volumes, Rogue's Gallery and Son of Rogue's Gallery. Each one is a double album and available on iTunes. It was my sailing soundtrack when guests were aboard.

Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Here's one of my favourites:

 
#16 ·
Southern Cross, Crosby, Stills and Nash:

Interesting trivia, in the original recording, Crosby was absent. He was in hospital (or jail, can't remember which) on a drug related issue. Timothy B. Schmit (from Poco and Eagles bands) and Art Garfunkel were backing vocalists replacing Crosby.
 
#17 ·
Southern Cross, Crosby, Stills and Nash:
Crosby, Stills & Nash - Southern Cross - YouTube
Interesting trivia, in the original recording, Crosby was absent. He was in hospital (or jail, can't remember which) on a drug related issue. Timothy B. Schmit (from Poco and Eagles bands) and Art Garfunkel were backing vocalists replacing Crosby.
One of the greatest sailing songs, for sure!
 
#18 ·
Right now my go to's are:
Blues Image - Ride Captain Ride
Phish - "The Tahoe Tweezer" (live) -
Phish - Moma Dance (sailing related)
Talking Heads - Remain in Light album
Antonio Lauro for classical guitar
TV on the Radio - Golden Age
This guy's mixes -

Or if certain people are on board I have to cede control and then we listen to some crappy pop stuff which just grates on my ears (One Direction, etc...)
 
#20 ·
The world of music is just too big to make "the list" and do justice to all the musicians who have given us their art. So why not get a XM satellite subscription and then you can wade through a huge library as the mood strikes you.
However, my list would have to include Wagner's The Ride of the
Walkuries, especially if you could time it to play just as you enter a raging inlet. The adrenalin rush would be awesome. But you will need some pretty good speakers to do it justice. Which brings up Thus Sprak Zarathustra by Richard Strauss - no, not 2001 a Space Oddessy.
On patriotic days I really enjoy Ives' American Symphony.
On Sept 11, I always listen to Tryptych by Robert Sirota.
If I'm feeling particularly ethereal, I listen to The Protecting Veil by John Tavener - the recording by Steven Isserlis.
A cup of coffee in the cockpit shrouded in fog mabe We'll Go Down To the River To Pray from Oh Brother, Wherefore Art Thou?
Ah, the list is just too great....
John
 
#21 ·
Roup9 and Christian.hess, that's exactly the sort of thing I meant - when the music fits the environment like a sound track, rather than sailing - related music, although it is interesting. Especially that Johnny Depp stuff and some of the others mentioned sound really promising ; will have to spend some time checking all those out. Thanks all.
 
#22 · (Edited)
Dock Six Chronicles: The Official Ultimate Dock Rock Playlist

If I had a Boat- Lyle Lovett (C'mon, any song with the lyrics, "Kiss my ass, I bought a boat" is worthy.)
Southern Cross- Crosby, Stills and Nash
Southern Breeze- Isley Brothers (Some prefer the Seals & Crofts original- this cover is better.)
Mexico- James Taylor
Easy- Lionel Richie & Willie Nelson (Is it a cover if the original writer/singer re-records it, better?)
FM- Steely Dan (No static, at all.)
Green Onions- Booker T & The MGs
Slip Slidin' Away- Paul Simon
Beth- KISS (Tell me I'm wrong.)
Couldn't Get It Right- Climax Blues Band
People Gotta Move- Gino Vannelli (Boz Scaggs' DNA is all over this.)
Sunday Morning- Maroon 5
Pilot- Ian Thomas (Another Boz-styled mumbler )
Sittin' (On the Dock of The Bay)- Otis Redding
I'll Be Around- The Spinners
Pepper- Wake Up
Bob Marley- Get up, Stand Up
Peter Gabriel- Biko
Ain't No Sunshine- Bill Withers
Promises, Promises- Naked Eyes
Good Times- Chic
Get Lucky- Daft Punk (Promises, Good Times and Get Lucky are best played as a three song arc to get the full Nile Rodgers guitar effect)
Love On a Real Train- Tangerine Dream
Eminence Front- The Who
Fallen Angel- Robbie Robertson
Heaven- Simply Red
What a Fool Believes- The Doobie Brothers
Escape (The Pina Colada Song) - Rupert Holmes
Sail On- The Commodores
Sara Smile- Hall & Oates
Night Moves- Bob Seger ("...autumn closing in..." sends shivers down my spine.)
Ain't Even Done With The Night- John Mellencamp
Why Can't I Fall In Love- Ivan Neville
Love the One You're With - Stephen Stills/ Isley Brothers/ Luther Vandross (One original, two covers, three different feels, all great.)
Forever Young- Bob Dylan
Reflections- The Supremes
You're So Vain- Carly Simon
Chain of Fools- Aretha Franklin
After the Love is Gone- Earth, Wind and Fire
Little Wing- Stevie Ray Vaughan
Wondering Where the Lions Are- Bruce Cockburn
Games People Play- Alan Parsons Project
How Long- Ace
Low Spark of High Heeled Boys- Traffic
Avalon- Roxy Music
Woman in Chains- Tears For Fears ("Woman.." and "Avalon" are another matched pair, best heard together.)
Miss You- Everything But the Girl
Birmingham- Amanda Marshall
Tiny Dancer- Elton John
Love is the Answer- England Dan and John Ford Coley
Another Auld Lang Syne- Dan Fogelberg ("Love..." and "Another..." should be played back to back to get the full soprano sax effect)
That Girl- Stevie Wonder
Take Five- Dave Brubeck
 
#26 ·
For us, among all the other sailing stuff, we love Eileen Quinn!

Where Jimmy Buffett sings about the dream of cruising, Eileen IS a cruiser and sings about the reality of it. And does it OHHHhhhhhhooooooo so well!

In one of our videos, we show a big "pot luck" with many boats attending. She allowed us to use one of her songs as the background to it, the song is "Piranha Potluck". :D

You can hear snippets of her music at CD Baby ( Eileen Quinn | CD Baby Music Store )

Standard disclaimer, just a very happy listener.

Greg
 
#27 ·
As a working musician/entertainer, I can unequivocally assure you that any and all music is good to sail by when you are out there alone with nothing but you and the sound of the waves slapping against the hull. However, when I have someone sailing with me, which is much of the time, the music stays off. Now, that's just how it is with me, opinions will, obviously vary. ;)

Good Luck,

Gary :cool:
 
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